FILMOGRAPHY
(includes Television and Theater work)

Film  |  Television   |  Theater

FILM WORK:

Gene Hackman is an extremely prolific film actor, appearing in up to six movies a year and nearly 90 films total.  Films are listed in reverse chronological order and linked to the Internet Movie Database, where full information can be found.  Films owned by Danville Public Library are marked with a *.  Films in italics are considered Hackman's best. 

• Welcome to Mooseport (2004).
• *Runaway Jury (2003) -- Hackman teams for the first time with his friend and old New York roommate, Dustin Hoffman.  The DVD includes interviews with the two actors and footage of them rehearsing.
• Behind Enemy Lines (2001).
• *Royal Tenenbaums, The (2001) -- Winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actor. 
• *Heist (2001).
• Heartbreakers (2001).
• Mexican, The (2001).
• Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (2000).
• Replacements, The (2000).
• Under Suspicion (2000) -- also served as executive producer.
• Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood (1999) (voice).
• *Enemy of the State (1998) -- Nominated, Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor.
• *Antz (1998) (voice).
• *Twilight (1998).
• *Absolute Power (1997).
• Extreme Measures (1996).
• *Birdcage, The (1996) -- Winner, Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor.  
• *Chamber, The (1996).
• *Get Shorty (1995).
• *Crimson Tide (1995).
• *Quick and the Dead, The (1995).
• Wyatt Earp (1994).
• 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994) (TV).
• *Geronimo: An American Legend (1993).
• *Firm, The (1993).
• *Unforgiven (1992) -- Hackman won his second Academy Award (Supporting Actor) and was showered with other awards, most notably: a British Academy Award; a Golden Globe; The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award; National Society of Film Critics Award; and New York Film Critics Circle Award.
• Company Business (1991).
• *Class Action (1991).
• Narrow Margin (1990).
• *Postcards from the Edge (1990).
• Loose Cannons (1990).
• Package, The (1989).
• *Forever James Dean (1988).
• Full Moon in Blue Water (1988).
• *Mississippi Burning (1988) -- Winner: Best Actor, Berlin International Film Festival;  Best Actor, National Board of Review.  Nominated: Academy Award (Best Actor); Golden Globe (Best Actor).
• Split Decisions (1988).
• Another Woman (1988) -- A supporting role in one of Woody Allen's best "serious" films.
• *Bat*21 (1988) -- Hackman plays Iceal Hambleton in the true story of the latter's incredible rescue behind enemy lines in Vietnam.  Coincidentally, both men grew up in Vermilion County, Illinois, though they didn't meet until promoting the film together.
• *No Way Out (1987).
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
• Power (1986).
• *Hoosiers (1986) -- A big hit with audiences, it was filmed near Gene's Illinois hometown.
• Target (1985).
• *Twice in a Lifetime (1985) -- Nominated for Golden Globe (Best Actor).
• Misunderstood (1984).
• Eureka (1983).
• Two of a Kind (1983) (uncredited) (voice).
• Uncommon Valor (1983). 
• *Under Fire (1983) -- Nominated for Golden Globe (Best Supporting Actor).
• *Reds (1981) -- After his self-imposed retirement (begun in the late 1970's), Hackman was convinced to return to work by writer/director/actor Warren Beatty.
• *All Night Long (1981) -- Hackman always wanted to make a romantic comedy and got his chance here, co-starring with Barbra Streisand.
• Superman II (1980) -- most of Hackman's work was filmed at the time of the first Superman film.
• Speed Fever (1978).
• *Superman (1978) -- Nominated for British Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor).
• Look at Liv, A (1977).
• March or Die (1977).
• Domino Principle, The (1977).
• *Bridge Too Far, A (1977).
• Lucky Lady (1975).
• *Bite the Bullet (1975) -- Hackman has called this the toughest film he's ever made.
• *Night Moves (1975) -- Nominated for British Academy Award (Best Actor).
• *French Connection II (1975) -- Nominated for British Academy Award (Best Actor) and Golden Globe (Best Actor).  Watch for his famous "baseball" monologue, one of the greatest pieces of acting in all of cinema. 
• *Young Frankenstein (1974) -- an hillarious cameo shows his great range.
• Zandy's Bride (1974).
• *Conversation, The (1974) -- one of Hackman's best performances in Francis Ford Coppola's finest film.   Winner: Best Actor, National Board of Review.  Nominated: British Academy Award (Best Actor); Golden Globe (Best Actor).
• *Scarecrow (1973) -- Hackman has often called this film, in which he teamed with Al Pacino, one of his personal favorites.  Finally released on DVD in 2005.
• Cisco Pike (1972).
• *Poseidon Adventure, The (1972) -- Winner, British Academy Award (Best Actor) -- the film that launched a thousand disaster movies, this remains one of the genre's best.
• Prime Cut (1972).
• *French Connection, The (1971) -- The film that won Hackman his first Oscar and made him a star.  Also won him the British Academy Award (Best Actor); Golden Globe (Best Actor); National Board of Review (Best Actor); and New York Film Critics Circle Award (Best Actor).
• Hunting Party, The (1971).
• Doctors' Wives (1971).
• *I Never Sang for My Father (1970) -- Hackman was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) in this drama about a man trying to reconcile with his elderly father.  There are parallels between actor and character: both are named Gene; both are ex-Marines; but more significantly, both have strained relationships with their fathers.  Hackman has only occasionally spoken of this complex relationship (his father left the family when Gene was only 13), and watching with this knowledge makes Hackman's nuanced performance even more poignant.
• Downhill Racer (1969).
• Gypsy Moths, The (1969) -- This early Hackman film about skydiving -- directed by John Frankenheimer at the height of his success -- features excellent aerial footage and an intelligent script.
• Marooned (1969).
• Riot (1969).
• Split, The (1968).
• Shadow on the Land (1968) (TV).
• Banning (1967).
• Covenant with Death, A (1967).
• First to Fight (1967).
• *Bonnie and Clyde (1967) -- A breakthrough performance which brought him wide acclaim and jumpstarted his film career.   He received his first Academy Award nomination (for Best Supporting Actor) and won the National Society of Film Critics Award.
• *Hawaii (1966).
• Lilith (1964) -- This film introduced him to Warren Beatty, who would later cast him in a seminal role in Bonnie and Clyde.
• Ride with Terror (1963) (TV).
• Mad Dog Coll (1961) (uncredited).

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TELEVISION WORK (selected):

Acclaimed shows like "The Defenders" gave Hackman valuable early experience and paved the way for film roles.  Today, his television work is generally limited to narration and voiceovers (he is currently heard in commercials for Lowe's home improvement stores and Oppenheimer mutual funds). 

• I Spy in episode "Happy Birthday... Everybody" (originally aired 2/26/68).
• Iron Horse in episode "Leopards Try" (10/28/67).
• The Invaders in episode "The Spores" (10/17/67).
• The F.B.I. in episode "The Courier" (1/15/67).
• Hawk in episode "Do Not Mutilate or Spindle" (9/8/66).
• The Trials of O'Brien in episode "The Only Game In Town" (3/18/66).
• The Defenders in episodes "Judgment Eve" (4/17/63);  and "Quality of Mercy" (9/13/61).
• Naked City in episode "Prime of Life" (2/13/63).
• The United States Steel Hour in episodes "Far from the Shade Tree" (1/10/62);
  "Brandenburg Gate" (10/4/61); "Bride of the Fox" (8/24/60); "Big Doc's Girl" (11/4/59); and "Little Tin God" (4/22/59).

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THEATER WORK (late 1950-early 1960's):

Like many young actors, Hackman initially considered himself a theater actor who would go slumming in film and television ("stealing money," as he put it).  He appeared in numerous summer stock, regional, and improvisational theater productions, a few of which appear below (in reverse chronological order):

• Poor Richard -- Moving up in the theater world, Hackman shared above-the-title billing with Robert Preston in this Jean Kerr play.
• The Natural Look -- co-starred with Brenda Vaccaro.  Closed after one night, but was seen by film producer Walter Mirisch, who gave Hackman a small role in the big-budget Hawaii.
• Any Wednesday -- Muriel Resnik's farce was Hackman's meatiest role to date and a significant stepping stone in his career. 
• A Rainy Day in Newark -- by Howard Teichman.
• Children From Their Games -- Irwin Shaw's Broadway play ran just one performance, but Hackman won the Clarence Derwent Award for his work.  The single performance was also seen by film director Robert Rossen, who cast Hackman in Lilith.
• Barefoot in the Park -- a supporting role in the original Broadway production of the Neil Simon hit, this was an important early break and helped Hackman hone his comedic skills.  Robert Redford played the lead.
• Chapparal -- an off-Broadway play by Valgrem Massey.
• The Saintliness of Margery Kempe -- another off-Broadway production, by John Wulp.
• The Curious Miss Caraway -- appeared with silent film star Zasu Pitts in his stage debut at the Pasadena Playhouse (where he briefly studied).

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